


Permanent

by xylarias



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Based on a textpost, Blood, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, F/M, M/M, all other characters (aside from percy and annabeth) are only mentioned, also this isn't that graphic but i decided to put gdov anyway, and i do describe wounds (at least in small detail), but not super graphic or anything, i'm just being extra careful so that i don't accidentally trigger anyone with my writing, i'm still not that good at writing angst but i try, percabeth but also very minor solangelo in the background, since there is blood, so if blood and description of injury makes you squeamish you might not want to read this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25550014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xylarias/pseuds/xylarias
Summary: based on a textpost by artsybookworms on Tumblr: Imagine Percy dying in battle and his last words are, "Build something permanent for me, okay Wise Girl?"
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Nico di Angelo & Will Solace
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36





	Permanent

**Author's Note:**

> please read the tags before continuing,,,  
> if blood & description of injury/violence triggers you even slightly you probably shouldn't read this  
> it's not that graphic but just in case  
> enjoy :)

Annabeth feels a claw graze her skin, causing blood to slowly start dripping down her back. She shouts from both surprise and pain, turning around to face the monster. Annabeth stabs the monster in its chest just as it gets on its back feet. She quickly wipes sweat and blood off her forehead before hastily making her way to the next monster.

Her shirt is already beginning to stick to her back, using her sweat and the blood from the wound as adhesive. Strands of hair are missing from her ponytail, blonde curls falling on her face and partially blocking her view.

She's struggling to focus, but out of the corner of her eye she sees Will carrying Nico in his arms, probably attempting to lead them to a safer zone – at least temporarily. It looks challenging, since Nico is, most likely, unconscious from shadow-traveling and can't support his own weight, but Piper's doing her best to keep them from being attacked.

Annabeth surprises a monster from behind, stabbing it a few times to make sure that it dies. Her dagger is almost completely covered with blood, and its usually mirror-like surface isn't shiny at all.

She runs toward the water, looking for Percy. She needs him right now. She has to make sure that he's okay. She barely notices Leo when she passes him, only paying attention when his hands set on fire.

She keeps running. still trying to spot Percy.

She's assuming that he's by the water – that's when he's most powerful, so it'd only be logical for him to be there – and desperately hoping that he hasn't been scathed too badly. Annabeth doesn't stop to catch her breath, even though she knows she needs it. She wants to find Percy first. Normally, she would make a list of priorities and go with the logical, most important one, but right now, Percy is all that matters.

He surpasses all priorities. He's more important than the top priority. He _is_ the top priority.

Annabeth's gasping for breath when she finally sees Percy. Relief spreads all over her body, but it's immediately replaced by concern, by fear.

What if he's not handling himself?

But he seems to be doing just fine, at least for now. The sea is raging around him, waves crashing into monsters that are approaching him. Annabeth notices a few scratches on his face, but they don't look that deep. She doesn't stop moving, but she's not running anymore. Just jogging, because it's easier to even her breathing that way.

She almost feels like smiling, in fact. But not for long.

Suddenly she notices a monster rushing in Percy's direction. It's bigger – and probably stronger – than the ones Percy is fighting. Annabeth increases her pace. She's running again. "Percy!" she calls out. Her voice is weak. He doesn't hear her. "Percy!" she calls out again, now closer to the water. He still doesn't hear her, and the monster is close to reaching its destination. She's running faster than she thought she could, determined to save Percy. " _Percy_!" she yells at the top of her lungs, and he hears her.

But it's too late. He turns around, looking for the source of the voice, and suddenly he's knocked back by the beast, falling into the water with a splash.

Annabeth shrieks. Percy isn't getting up, and she feels numb. The creature turns around, probably intending to inflict even more damage upon Percy, but arrows are fired at its side.

Annabeth turns her head just enough to see children from the Apollo cabin shooting arrows at the beast. One of them she recognizes to be Kayla Knowles. She only vaguely registers a girl who she thinks to be Drew Tanaka running across the shoreline and into the water, shoving her sword into the horned creature's flesh.

Annabeth runs into the ocean, water splashing all over her clothes, soaking them. But she couldn't care less.

  


* * *

  


"Wise Girl," Percy says hoarsely as Annabeth rushes to his side. He attempts to grin, but it quickly turns into a grimace.

He's bleeding. A lot. "Oh gods, Percy," Annabeth says, holding Percy's hand. Her voice is thick.

His chest is bleeding, and blood is causing the fabric of his shirt to turn damp. Percy didn't just get knocked back by the monster – it looks like the beast knocked him back with its horns. "I'm in pretty bad shape, huh?" Annabeth doesn't answer, just stares at Percy and his blood-covered face. There are streaks of darker blood, monster blood, on his face.

"Hey," Annabeth says. "Hey, we'll get you out of this. We'll... we'll get you ambrosia." She pauses, swallowing hard. Her throat feels dry. "Nectar. Anything. You'll be alright," she says, voice barely above a whisper as she strokes Percy's scraped cheek.

Percy is about to shake his head, but movement makes him wince. "You know you can't do anything to save me," he whispers. He's zoning out, his eyes are losing focus.

"No," Annabeth says. "We'll get you out of here," she assures him, but doesn't move. She knows nothing can be done – they're too far away from Camp Half-Blood. Too far.

"The water should be healing you, right?" Annabeth asks, her eyebrows knit together. Her breathing is unsteady.

"I guess so," Percy says. "I don't know... I don't know why it isn't," he coughs, frowning. Annabeth doesn't either. Maybe the wounds are too big? Maybe he doesn't have enough energy? Maybe–

Maybe he's too close to dying to be healed?

"Maybe I'll get to go to Elysium," Percy says, smiling weakly at Annabeth. "I mean, I did die fighting against monsters. Do you reckon that's heroic enough?" he asks, coughing. His voice has turned into something close to a whisper. Annabeth forces herself to nod, stifling a sob. "Good then," Percy says, his eyelids nearly drooping shut. He must be using all of the willpower he has left to keep them open.

A tear rolls down Annabeth's cheek against her will. "Hey," Percy says, lifting his hand to wipe off the tear with the last of his strength. "Hey, don't cry," he says. "I'll be fine." Percy doesn't have long. He doesn't have long, and Annabeth knows that.

She has to say it. She has to say it now, or she'll never be able to say it again. "I love you, Seaweed Brain." Her voice falters at the end of the sentence.

"I love you too," he replies, breaking out into a chain of coughs right after. He looks like he's about to fall asleep, but he's still trying his best to smile for Annabeth.

He's using his remaining energy for _her_.

Annabeth presses her lips against his, tenderly. It's the last time she can do that, it hits her. That makes her want to cry, but she has to stay strong. Percy isn't going to be here in a few minutes – no, seconds – and Annabeth has to stay strong for him.

One last time.

Percy weakly smiles up at Annabeth. Annabeth strokes Percy's cheek. There are so many things Annabeth still wants to tell him, but she doesn't trust her own voice.

Percy sighs. One last time. "Build something permanent for me, okay, Wise Girl?" Percy squeezes Annabeth's hand, one last time.

"I will," she responds in a strained voice.  
"I promise." Percy smiles at that – one last time. Or maybe she's just imagining it.

She feels Percy's body turn limp in her arms, the soft, somewhat satisfied smile vanishing from his lips as the corners turn downwards. His eyes are closed. He looks peaceful. Annabeth runs her hand through his wet hair, flattening it against his head. His hand is no longer squeezing hers.

There's no life in him. He's dead. Completely dead. Lifeless.

Percy Jackson is dead, and a part of Annabeth has been taken away from her.

And it's never coming back.

_He's_ never coming back.


End file.
